


What Really Happened

by SkinnyProcrastinator



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Aftermath of Torture, F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-29
Updated: 2015-08-31
Packaged: 2018-04-17 22:47:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,852
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4684175
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SkinnyProcrastinator/pseuds/SkinnyProcrastinator
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Regina can’t stand Hook and Emma just wants them to get along. Along the way Emma find out what really happened. A short SwanQueen story that contains some CS.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

“I just don’t see why you can’t get along,” Emma muttered with a sigh as she swirled the amber liquid around her wine glass.

“Beats me, love,” Hook replied as he stared lovingly at the blonde across the red and white check tablecloth cover the restaurant dining table.

“I mean, I know there was history,” Emma continued. “But can’t it all be put behind you?”

“Don’t look at me.” Hook held his gloved hand up defensively. “It’s the Queen who refuses to play nicely.”

Emma nodded her head, it was true that Regina was refusing to acknowledge Hook’s existence half the time and the other half she acknowledged it only with glares or sarcastic quips. It had been six months since they had rescued Henry and returned from Neverland, six blissfully quiet months where life seemed to finally be working out for Emma.

Henry had made his peace with Regina and split his time between living at the Mayoral Mansion and the Charmings’ loft. Emma had become serious with Hook, his insistent advances finally breaking down her walls and they were now considered an item. Mary Margaret and David were expecting the birth of Emma’s sibling any day now.

The only problem in an otherwise idyllic life was Henry’s other mother, newly-reinstated Mayor Mills. The time in Neverland had built a lasting respect between the two women and they constantly teetered on the edge of something that might one day be considered friendship. If it wasn’t for Regina’s hatred of Hook.

“Are you sure you didn’t do anything?” Emma asked Hook seriously as she fixed him with a stare.

The afternoon town hall meeting had been going so well, everything had been dealt with and they were packing up to leave. Regina was smiling and happy right up until the moment Hook entered the room to pick Emma up for their date. Within an instant Regina had said a cordial, though cold, farewell to Emma and had shouldered her way past Hook. It was the last straw for Emma, the constant bitterness between them was causing her problems and she wanted a resolution and for that she needed answers.

Hook held his hook to his chest. “I solemnly swear that I have not said more than two words to the Queen since we returned from Neverland, all of those words have been in the spirit of comradeship but she refuses to listen.”

Emma looked at Hook for a few moments before nodding her head as she accepted his words.

“Look,” Hook began, “I know it bothers you but I really cannot do anything to appease the woman. You have seen it with your own eyes, Swan. She refuses to have anything to do with me. I think we should just drop it, it is what it is.”

Emma sighed and nodded her head. “Yeah, I suppose you’re right. I just wish everyone could get along.”

“I know, love,” Hook said with a loving grin. “That’s what makes you so special.”

* * *

Mary Margaret watched as Henry unloaded the dishwasher. Usually she would have done it herself but she was so far into her pregnancy that she could barely see what was in the dishwasher never mind unload it. Still, she couldn’t sit around and do nothing so she kept Henry company and chatted to him about his school work while he helped out.

“Can I ask you something?” Henry asked suddenly.

“Sure,” Mary Margaret said with a smile. “You know you can ask me anything, Henry.”

Henry smiled tentatively back at her as he hung the coffee cups on the hooks on the wall while he considered how best to phrase his question.

“What would cause someone to drop things?”

Mary Margaret frowned as she questioned, “you mean accidentally?”

“Yeah, someone who never drops things.. suddenly dropping something,” Henry clarified.

Mary Margaret looked up at the plate rack and mentally counted the dishes. Henry watched the action and shook his head. “Not me, someone else.”

“Oh.” Mary Margaret thought for a moment. “Well, I suppose some people are just clumsy?”

“Yeah, but this person is never clumsy but lately.. sometimes..” Henry trailed off as the front door opened and Emma giggled as she stepped into the apartment. Hook followed behind her with a wicked grin on his face, clearly the cause of Emma’s good mood.

Mary Margaret looked from the doorway to Henry and quickly reassured him, “we’ll talk about this later tonight, I promise.”

Henry nodded and continued putting dishes away as Hook grabbed Emma and whispered something in her ear causing her to blush.

* * *

The next morning was Saturday and Emma decided she’d had enough of the war with Hook and Regina. Knowing that Regina had nothing planned for that morning Emma got up early and headed over to the mansion and knocked on the door.

Regina answered the door and smiled warmly.

“Emma, I.. did we have something planned?” Regina asked with confusion.

“No, I just wanted to talk to you..” Emma replied with a smile.

“Is it about Henry?” Regina asked, instantly concerned.

“No, it’s nothing bad,” Emma reassured.

Regina breathed a small sigh of relief and stood to one side and allowed the blonde into the house.

“I was just about to put the coffee machine on, would you like a cup?”

“That sounds lovely.”

Emma followed Regina into the kitchen and stood at the kitchen island while the brunette set about making the coffee.

“So,” Emma started with a deep breath. “I wanted to talk about Hook.”

Emma noticed how Regina tensed at the mere mention of the man.

“What about him?” Regina asked with a bored tone.

“This.. thing between you has to stop,” Emma announced quickly. “It’s putting me in a really hard place. I don’t know what the issue is but can’t we just let bygones be bygones?”

Regina slowly turned around and regarded Emma with a dangerous smile.

“Bygones?” Regina questioned incredulously.

“Yes,” Emma said with a confidence she wish she felt. “It’s putting strain on me and Henry.. I think we need to sit down and talk about whatever it is that’s bothering you so we can..”

“I will not sit down with that.. pirate,” Regina declared in an angry whisper.

Emma sighed and folded her arms. “Regina, please, this has been going on for months.. Hook is my boyfriend and you are Henry’s mother. You are both an important part of my life and it’s really hard for me to mediate all the time.”

“Hard for you?” Regina gritted her teeth.

“Yes, I.. I need to.. I can’t carry on doing this,” Emma admitted. “So, if you can’t sit down and figure out a way forward then.. well.. then I..”

“Then you what?” Regina asked with fierce eyes boring into Emma’s.

“Then.. we can’t be friends,” Emma said before her brain had even fully processed the consequences of the words.

“Him or me?” Regina asked with a bark of incredulous laughter.

“No.” Emma shook her head. “I want both of you in my life.. but if it’s like this then..”

“Him it is then,” Regina said finally. “I hope you’ll be very happy together. If I see you in town I will do my best to avoid you.”

“Regina..” Emma started.

“No, you made yourself quite clear, Miss Swan,” Regina said as she wiped her hands on a tea towel. “I don’t suppose you want this coffee now so I suspect you’ll be leaving.”

The cold tone and manner hit Emma hard, she hadn’t expected the conversation to go well but it had almost immediately gotten out of control and gone in a direction Emma hadn’t prepared for. Regina was furious and it was obvious there was no reasoning with the brunette now so Emma nodded her head and left the house.

* * *

“Emma, I’ve been looking for you everywhere,” Mary Margaret said as she waddled across the park towards the bench.

“Sorry,” Emma apologised. “I had my phone on silent, I forgot to switch it back on.”

Mary Margaret lowered herself to the bench. “No matter, I’ve found you now.”

Emma smiled. “What did you want me for?”

“I need you to speak to Regina,” Mary Margaret said. “We’ve been getting on better lately but I don’t want to rock the boat with this one.”

It was certainly true, Regina had defrosted when it came to Mary Margaret and a steady peace was in force. However it was clear that both women were still cautious about their new found friendship.

“What’s up?” Emma asked, not wanting to divulge her spate with Regina to her mother just yet.

“Henry’s worried about her,” Mary Margaret admitted. “He told me that she is dropping things.. but what he described is.. well, I don’t know, like spasms.”

“Spasms?” Emma questioned.

“Yes, it’s rare he says but he has said it’s happened a few times where she is holding something like a pen or a cup and suddenly she drops it.”

“I’ve not noticed anything,” Emma commented as she frowned and searched her memory for any times when she might have seen the act.

“Well, I thought not either but Henry got me thinking. Do you remember when we were at Granny’s and she handed you that glass and you dropped it and she shouted at you?”

Emma nodded, she remembered Regina loudly cursing her clumsiness to the entire diner. “Yeah.. I remember.”

“You didn’t drop it though, did you? She did.. and blamed you,” Mary Margaret said. “I thought that was what happened but I thought it was Regina being Regina. Now I think she’s covering something up.”

“I..” Emma thought for a moment. “I had a fight with Regina this morning.. a big one.”

“What about?” Mary Margaret frowned.

“Hook.”

“Hook?”

“Yeah, this bickering between them. I’d had enough so I went over there to try to get Regina to talk about why she hates him so much. So we could move on.. but it all went wrong. We had a fight and she kicked me out.”

Mary Margaret thought for a moment. “Does she feel competition for Henry’s love now you and Hook are together?”

“No, Henry and Regina are getting on better than ever,” Emma admitted. “I wondered if it was something from the past, back in the Enchanted Forest?”

“Well, I don’t know what happened back then,” Mary Margaret confessed. “But he did play his part in Cora getting here, maybe Regina hasn’t forgiven him for that?”

Emma considered the point and shook her head. “I don’t think that’s it. Things between Cora and Regina ended on a positive note, if Hook hadn’t helped Cora get back here then they never would have resolved their differences.”

“If Hook hadn’t helped Cora get back here I wouldn’t have..” Mary Margaret paused and choked back a small sob.

Emma wrapped her arm around her mother. “Hey, hey, it’s okay. You did what you had to do.. and Regina’s forgiven you for that. She said so herself. No, whatever problem it is.. I don’t think it involves Cora.”

“Do you think it was something that happened in Neverland?” Mary Margaret asked as she wiped a few stray tears from her eyes.

Emma thought about it and shook her head. “No.. she treated him as she does now when we were on the way to Neverland. I caught them arguing on the ship..”

“What were they saying?”

“I don’t know,” Emma shrugged and stood up and started to pace. “They stopped as soon as I got there.”

Mary Margaret looked at the ground as she thought about it. “So, after Cora.. but before Neverland. When Hook stole the magic bean?”

Emma bristled at the memory of being conned by her boyfriend. “No, I wanted to kill him but I don’t think that’s what’s caused this rift between him and Regina.”

“Oh..” Mary Margaret whispered as she slowly looked up at Emma.

Emma looked at her mother. “What?”

“I.. I think I know..” Mary Margaret whispered. “When Hook first came to Storybrooke he was working with Greg and Tamara. I think maybe Hook had something to do with Regina being taken to the cannery.. oh, Emma.. we.. we never told you..”

“Never told me what?” Emma asked, her blood running cold with fear at what her mother was about to reveal.

“Oh, Emma.” Mary Margaret swallowed hard. “You.. you’d just lost Neal and then the trigger was activated.. we.. we didn’t tell you because you were grieving and then it never seemed like the right time.”

“Tell me,” Emma instructed firmly.

“Regina.. she.. when we found her.. she’d been tortured,” Mary Margaret confessed.

“Tortured?” Emma blinked. “What do you mean?”

“When we used the tear from Gold to find Regina.. I.. I knew that Regina was being tortured. It was agony, Emma.. I only experienced it for a few seconds but Regina.. she was there for a long time. When we found her she was connected to this machine, I.. I think there was electricity, she..”

“Wait, wait.” Emma held up her hands. “You’re telling me that when you found Regina at the cannery she’d been tortured and electrocuted?!”

Mary Margaret stood up and tried to soothe Emma by resting her hand on her daughter’s arm. Emma pulled back and Mary Margaret quickly spoke, “you’d just lost Neal.. you were in shock.. we wanted to comfort you..”

Emma took a few steps back and remembered returning to the loft, she remembered Regina in the bed but she had never considered why. Blue had been there and then she had left but Emma had been too shaken up about losing Neal to think about what was happening. Conversations happened but she was in her own world and hadn’t heard them beyond distant mutterings.

“Regina..” Emma whispered at the memory, “Regina told us that Hook was working with Greg and Tamara but I.. I didn’t realise what she meant.”

Mary Margaret swallowed nervously as Emma looked up at her. “But you did,” Emma said. “You knew.”

“I..” Mary Margaret hesitated.

“You knew that Hook had something to do with Regina being tortured, electrocuted and you never told me?! I’m dating him! What did he do? Did he.. oh my god did he..” Emma trailed off.

“I don’t know what his involvement was,” Mary Margaret admitted. “Emma, I’m so sorry. I.. I never thought about it again. I knew that Hook worked with Greg and Tamara but I never considered that he was involved in what happened to Regina.. but it does make sense. That would explain why she is so angry at him.”

“You think?!” Emma asked angrily. “I need to speak to Hook..”

“Emma,” Mary Margaret called out after her daughter but it was too late, Emma was already sprinting towards her yellow Bug.

* * *

Emma screeched the Bug to a stop by the docks and quickly got out of the car and marched her way towards the ship.

“Hook!” Emma called out.

“Hook!”

Emma was walking up the gangplank when Hook appeared.

“Swan?” Hook frowned as the blonde stormed onto the deck and approached him.

“Did you torture Regina?” Emma spat out quickly.

“What?!” Hook blinked in shock.

“You heard,” Emma stared at him, eager to get a reading on his answer with her lie detector.

“I can’t believe you’re asking this, Swan!” Hook turned around and stalked across the deck.

“You’re not encouraging me with your answer,” Emma commented.

Hook turned back to face her. “I did not torture the Queen.”

Emma licked her lips and looked at him suspiciously, she could tell he was hiding something.

“Did you know she was tortured?” Emma asked.

“I heard some such.. I.. why are you questioning me like this?” Hook demanded.

“You were involved,” Emma whispered as she stared at him.

“Look, love, I told you I was being coerced by..”

“What did you do?” Emma challenged him.

“I delivered the Queen to Greg, what he did from there was..”

“Whoa, whoa, firstly her name is Regina. Stop calling her ‘the Queen’ like it somehow separates what you did from the human being..”

“Human being?” Hook snorted a laugh, “come on, she is the Evil Queen, love!”

Emma took a startled step back, “..did you know he tortured her?”

“Well I didn’t think he was going to talk about kittens..”

“How did you.. How did you get her to Greg?” Emma asked.

“They gave me the leather cuff that captured her magic and then I just had to get her to wear it,” Hook explained. He flashed a grin. “It was remarkably easy once I told her it belonged to her mother.”

“Greg Mendell.. electrocuted her..” Emma said carefully, wanting him to understand the gravity of the situation.

“No less than she deserves,” Hook replied quickly.

Emma closed her mouth and stood up straight, suddenly it was as if she was seeing the man for the first time. All the niggling questions she had about him were coming back full force. His previous deceits, his bending of the truth, his pressuring her to bend to his will.

“We’re over.”

Hook blinked in confusion. “Because of the.. because of her?”

“No, because of you.”

“Love, wait..”

“No, I’m seeing you for the real you. You told me you hadn’t said two words to Regina since we returned from Neverland. You knew why she has been off with you and you tried to throw me off the trail, you lied to me.”

“Now, Swan, I didn’t lie..”

“You lied by omission!” Emma said forcefully.

“I was trying to protect you..” Hook started.

“Don’t,” Emma shook her head. “Just.. just don’t.”

Emma shook her head again and walked back down the gangplank towards her Bug with a sigh.


	2. Chapter 2

Emma got into her car and started to drive with no real plan on where she was going. She just needed to get away from Hook, away from her broken relationship and the man who played some part in the kidnap and torture of her friend.

She snorted a laugh and shook her head in disbelief as she realised she really did consider Regina to be a friend. Despite everything they had gone through and even despite Regina’s past, Emma still considered Regina a friend. Someone who didn’t have unrealistic expectations on her and didn’t just see her as the Saviour. 

Emma crunched the gears of the car as she drove along a deserted road by the woodland. The rift between Hook and Regina had really bothered her because she wanted both people in her life. When she had argued with Regina that morning a cold sense of dread had washed over Emma as she worried that she was ruining her friendship with the brunette. 

Now she knew the truth she couldn’t believe how foolish she had been in trusting Hook. She slammed her hand on the steering wheel as she recalled all the times Hook had betrayed her, lied to her, manipulated her and stole from her. The man was a pirate through and through and Emma felt sick to her stomach that she had fallen for his charms.

Emma drove the Bug off of the road and into a small clearing in the woods and parked up to give herself time to think, her mind was reeling and she still didn’t have all the answers. In fact she mainly had more questions but the key thing that kept running through her head was how stupid she was. Her job as a private detective had suited her because she was observant and nothing escaped her. Now she was in a situation where her son’s mother had been kidnapped by her boyfriend and tortured, probably electrocuted and Emma hadn’t noticed a thing.

“Shit!” Emma exclaimed as she hit the palm of her hand on the steering wheel with frustration.

After a moment of staring straight ahead she reached into her coat pocket and quickly dialled her dad’s mobile number and took a deep breath while she waited for him to answer.

“Hey Emma.” The friendly sound of her father’s voice was a welcome relief.

“Hey,” Emma said and swallowed. “Erm, I.. I broke up with Hook. I wanted you to know in case he comes to the station.”

There was a short pause before David replied. “Okay, I understand.”

“You understand?” Emma asked with a frown before realisation struck. “Oh, you spoke to mom?”

“Yes,” David confirmed. “When you left she came here and told me everything.”

“He.. he kidnapped her, dad,” Emma said with a tremor in her voice. “I’m dating a kidnapper. I don’t even know what else he did.. I.. don’t know if I want to know..”

“Where are you?” David asked.

Emma looked around the trees. “In the woods, I just went for a drive, didn’t know where to go and I just needed some time to myself. I’m okay.”

“How did Hook take it?” 

“Not good,” Emma admitted. “I don’t think he is going to accept it.”

“He will when I’m done with him,” David said solemnly.

Emma smiled ruefully. “You don’t have to help me clean up my messes.”

“I’m your father,” David said as if that were an explanation for everything.

Emma was about to reply when she head the Sheriff’s desk phone ring and David mumbled for her to hold on while he took the call. A couple of moments later David spoke again, “seems Hook is at Regina’s.”

“What?!” Emma cried as she started the Bug engine again.

“I just had a report of a disturbance there,” David started to reply.

“Well don’t stand there, get over there!” Emma said as she put the Bug into reverse and exited the clearing.

David chuckled. “Emma, you do know we’re talking about Regina, right? The disturbance call was because she blasted him across her garden and into a tree.”

* * *

Despite David’s reassurances that Regina was fine, Emma put her foot down and got to Mifflin Street as soon as she could. When she arrived she could see that David had already arrived in the cruiser and there was a small crowd of people watching the scene.

An extremely pregnant Mary Margaret had Regina in a bear hug from behind in an effort to stop the brunette from striding towards Hook and killing him. Meanwhile Hook was dangling from a tree, his foot caught in a vine and shouting at the Mayor while David attempted to cut him down.

“Ah, there you are,” Regina shouted as she saw Emma sidestep the gathering crowd and enter the garden. “Get your pirate under control, he’s off his leash!”

“When I get down from here I am going to rip you from limb to limb, your Majesty!” Hook promised as he struggled to free himself.

“Emma! I can’t hold her back much longer!” Mary Margaret said as she dug her heels into the soft grass and pulled Regina back with all her weight.

Emma looked around the scene and sighed to herself.

“He’s not my pirate,” Emma told Regina softly. “We’re over.” Emma turned to look meaningfully at Hook, despite him hanging upside down he caught her expression.

“Love, let’s talk about this..” Hook’s words were cut off by the vine extending and covering his mouth. 

Emma looked from Hook to Regina and saw the brunette had managed to free a hand enough to silence the pirate.

“So, you finally came to your senses, presumably smell being the main one.” Regina smirked.

“Oh,” Mary Margaret said and let go of Regina and took a step backwards.

Regina turned to look at the younger woman. “Snow?”

Mary Margaret held a hand over her belly and looked at Regina with horror. “I think my water just broke.”

“What?!” David cried out and stopped in his attempt to free Hook and ran over to his wife.

Mary Margaret cried out and held her stomach as she winced. “Something’s wrong..”

Regina raised her hands and in a cloud of purple smoke the four of them vanished from the front lawn of 108 Mifflin Street leaving a confused crowd of people and a gagged pirate wondering who would let him down.

* * * 

“I should go,” Regina said as she stood up from the uncomfortable plastic hospital chair in the hallway and indicated towards the exit.

After Regina had poofed them to the hospital Doctor Whale had reassured them that everything was fine and Mary Margaret was in the final stages of labour. David and Mary Margaret had been in the maternity ward for an hour while Emma and Regina sat silently outside in the quiet corridor.

“Go? Now?” Emma asked as she stood up as well.

“Why should I stay here? I’m..”

“Family,” Emma said firmly. “You’re family.”

Regina laughed bitterly.

“Why are you laughing?” Emma asked

“I’m just remembering the last time a Charming said those words to me,” Regina admitted. 

Emma chewed the inside of her cheek for a moment. “Please, sit down and wait with me? Henry will come here after school anyway.”

It had been decided that Henry didn’t need be pulled out of school just to wait in the hospital while the baby was being born. 

Regina took a deep breath and nodded her head and sat back down again, Emma sitting next to her.

“So, you dumped Captain Guyliner?” Regina said softly.

“Yeah,” Emma admitted. “Wait, I told you we were over, how do you know I dumped him?”

Regina chuckled. “Well, firstly, he wouldn’t dump you because he is absolutely besotted with you. And, secondly, he came to my house threatening to kill me because you dumped him due to my interference.”

“That son of a bitch,” Emma muttered under her breath.

“This is the second time today your relationship with that man has interfered with my life, Miss Swan. I hope it won’t become a regular occurrence,” Regina said as she crossed her legs and looked away. 

Emma looked at Regina and then looked away herself. “I should never have been with him in the first place.”

“Trouble in paradise?” Regina questioned with a harsh edge to her tone.

“I found out some things,” Emma admitted.

“Well, you already knew that he was a rum-drinking, lying thief.. what else was there that you couldn’t possibly forgive?”

“What he did to you.”

Regina turned to face Emma with a confused frown. “Me?”

Emma turned and made eye contact with the woman beside her. “I didn’t know what happened to you, Regina. I still don’t know all the details.. but I swear to you if I had known that Hook played any part in.. in what happened to you then I would never have forgiven him.”

Regina stared at Emma in confusion and opened her mouth to speak and paused for a few moments before finally asking, “you didn’t know?”

“No,” Emma shook her head. “I.. I knew you were at the cannery. I knew that Greg and Tamara held you there but.. I.. I didn’t know they tortured you. And I didn’t know that Hook took your magic and..”

“You didn’t know?” Regina repeated in a whisper.

“No,” Emma repeated. “I’m so sorry..”

Emma watched as emotions scrambled across Regina’s face and she realised that Regina had thought that Emma knew of Hook’s involvement and what happened to her. 

As quickly as Emma had seen sadness, fear and confusion cross Regina’s face they were gone again and replaced by a facial expression of Regina’s that Emma knew too well; a fake smile.

“Water under the bridge,” Regina said with a wave of her hand.

Emma took a breath as she thought about what to say next, she knew a wrong word now could have serious repercussions.   
“Would you.. tell me.. what happened?” Emma asked cautiously.

Regina frowned. “Why?”

Emma let out a sigh. “Because I feel like I’ve been lied to and I want to know the truth. I’ve been kicking myself for ignoring so many signs and not seeing what was right in front of me.. and.. I don’t know..”

“It’s better if you don’t know,” Regina said decisively.

“Why?” Emma asked.

“Because what good will it do?” 

“Have you told anyone what happened?” Emma asked Regina softly.

Regina turned away and shrugged lightly. “A couple of people.”

“Whale?” Emma asked.

Regina spun her head around. “How did you know?”

“I can’t imagine that you didn’t have some kind of side effects.. if.. if there was electricity involved?” Emma gently asked.

Regina regarded the blonde for a moment before looking down at the floor silently.

“Was there?” Emma asked again.

“Was there what?” Regina muttered.

“Was electricity involved?” Emma clarified.

“Yes,” Regina whispered.

Emma was grateful that Regina was looking at the floor because in that moment she couldn’t keep her emotions in check and she fluctuated between feeling sick and angry and sorrowful.

Emma let out a shaky sigh. “Did.. did Hook?”

“No,” Regina’s head snapped up again. “Your precious boyfriend didn’t press the switch if that’s what you’re worried about.”

“He’s not my boyfriend,” Emma said firmly.

Regina snorted a laugh and looked away again.

“Hook told me he got you to wear the cuff by saying it was your mother’s?” 

Regina remained silent and Emma continued, “he didn’t say anything else though?”

Regina silently stared down the long and empty corridor and Emma sighed softly at Regina’s persistent silence, not that she could blame her. If the position had been reversed Emma didn’t think she would want to talk about it with the girlfriend of her kidnapper either.

“I tried to kill him,” Regina said softly.

“Hook?” Emma asked.

“Yes, I was so focused on getting the trigger and getting Henry and leaving Storybrooke that I.. well, I pushed him off a ledge and assumed he had fallen to his death. Well, that an old friend would take care of him at least.”

Regina licked her lips nervously and turned back to regard Emma. “But he survived. As he always does. When I left the tunnels and returned to the library, there he was.”

Regina let out a humourless chuckle. “I wasn’t scared then, just confused. I was sure he was dead but not only had he survived but he had beaten me to the surface. He told me that he had almost decided not to go ahead with his plan.. and that’s when Tamara and Greg appeared.”

Regina nervously swallowed. “I tried to cast a fireball but nothing happened. I tried to get the cuff off but I couldn’t and.. you know what?”

Emma shook her head.

“It was the first time I felt scared in years. Probably since my mother. That loss of power, that sense of helplessness.”

Regina stood up, restless from sitting still and paced in front of the plastic chairs. “It was Tamara who put the bag over my head. Hook who carried me to the car.”

Emma was reeling from the information, torn between wanting to know everything and wanting to distance herself from the horrors of the specifics.

“Hook carried me into the cannery, he put me on the table and strapped me down,” Regina continued calmly.

The gaps were rapidly being filled in for Emma and unwelcome images of large leather straps holding Regina to a table flooded her mind.

Regina regarded her with a soft expression and licked her lips before summarising the story. 

“Hook left soon after, once Greg wheeled the machine in he wanted no part in it. I am certain that your pirate was being coerced by Greg and Tamara and only did what he did because they had some hold over him.”

Emma nodded as she took in the information. “What happened next?”

Regina frowned. “What do you mean?”

“After Hook left, what happened next?” Emma clarified.

“Why?” Regina asked.

“Because I want to know, I need to know,” Emma explained.

“But that was the end of Hook’s involvement..”

“I don’t care about him, I care about you!” Emma cried as she jumped to her feet and started pacing as well.

“You.. what do you mean?” Regina couldn’t fathom what Emma was saying.

“Regina.. you were tortured.. at least I presume you were. I don’t care about Hook, he is out of my life. The role he played, that he just left you there.. you could have died. And he lied and.. I can’t trust him. I don’t need him. I just want to know..”

Regina took a step forward and pulled Emma into a gentle hug to prevent the blonde from rambling on. Emma wrapped her arms around Regina’s middle and rested her head on the Mayor’s shoulder and took a few deep, calming breaths.

“I’m sorry,” Emma whispered.

“Don’t be.”

“I am though. I should have known, should have asked, should have seen that something was wrong.”

“Emma, you can’t be everyone’s Saviour all the time,” Regina said softly. “And besides, I’m fine. Really.”

The sound of the door opening caused them both to take a step back and looked expectantly at the door. David stepped through with a wide smile on his face and a tiny baby wrapped in a white blanket in his arms.

“It’s a boy,” he announced softly.

* * *

The next week was a blur for everyone. Mary Margaret was kept in the hospital due to some minor complications and since Regina was the only person to have any experience with a baby she was drafted in to the loft to help Emma and David.

It was cramped but somehow everyone got along. Emma gave up her bed to Regina and Henry and slept in David’s bed with the baby while David took the sofa. A routine emerged quickly, dictated by the baby who Regina had taken to calling ‘Prince’ in lieu of an official name.

Once afternoon when David took the baby to see Mary Margaret and Henry was at school, Emma returned to the loft to get a change of clothing when she noticed that Regina was asleep on her bed. After being woken up six times the previous night Emma wasn’t at all surprised that Regina had decided on an afternoon nap and attempted to tiptoe around the room to get what she needed.

“You’re like a bull in a china shop,” Regina mumbled with her eyes closed.

Emma sighed. “Sorry, I did try to be quiet.”

“I wasn’t asleep,” Regina admitted.

“I saw Hook today,” Emma commented.

“Oh?” Regina said casually but her tone gave away her interest.

“He’s leaving, not sure where but he is sailing this afternoon,” Emma said.

“I see.”

“I’m glad he is going,” Emma confessed.

“I can’t say I’ll miss him myself.”

“Thank you, for everything you’re doing,” Emma said as she opened her creaking wardrobe door for a warmer sweater.

“Well, I couldn’t very well leave the baby with you and Charming,” Regina quipped. Truth was she had been surprised how quickly they had both taken to looking after the tiny baby.

“It will be weird not having you here,” Emma commented.

“I’ll be just around the corner,” Regina said as she sat up and stretched her arms out in front of her.

Emma smiled as she pulled out a sweater and started to pull it the correct way out as she watched Regina reach for the glass of water beside her bed. Emma noticed the brunette picked up the glass and frowned as it slipped from Regina’s hand, in a second Regina waved her hand and the glass was back on the table and there was no indication of the slip.

“Does that happen often?” Emma asked, not wanting to let the opportunity to talk about it pass her by.

“It was an accident,” Regina assured.

“I don’t think it was,” Emma pressed.

Regina glared at Emma but a week living with the brunette meant that the old tactics no longer had any effect on the blonde.

“Have you seen Whale about it?” Emma asked as she removed her thinner sweater and stood before Regina in just her black bra before putting on the thicker sweater.

Regina blinked for a second at Emma’s casual undressing in front of her, the action enough to confuse her that she answered the question.

“Yes, he says it’s normal and nothing they can do about it. Nerve damage,” Regina explained.

Emma nodded casually, attempting to not make a big deal about the revelation but internally she was screaming at the injustice of it all.

“You need to tell Henry,” Emma said softly. “He’s noticed and was worried.”

“I.. I don’t want to explain..” Regina admitted.

“Then don’t, just tell him the basics, no need to go into details,” Emma offered.

Regina nodded and picked up the water glass again and this time took a sip of water and lowered the glass back to the table without an issue. 

“Will you tell me the rest?” Emma asked hesitantly.

“Why are you so keen to know?” Regina asked as she adjusted herself so she sat on the edge of the bed.

“I dream about it,” Emma admitted. “I can’t stop thinking about it. I.. I feel guilty that you went through all of that and I was waltzing around town dating your kidnapper. God I even made you listen to me go on and on about our relationship.”

Emma sighed as she flopped onto the bed beside Regina.

“Yes, you did, but then I didn’t mind when you were complaining about his lack of hygiene or terrible kissing skills,” Regina said with a chuckle.

Emma laughed lightly. “He never got better at kissing, I just got used to it.”

“Beard,” Regina said.

“Hmm?”

“It was the beard, it’s not nice to kiss all that rough hair,” Regina explained.

“Yeah,” Emma agreed. “Soft skin is better.”

“Yes,” Regina agreed as she looked at Emma and swallowed.

Emma leaned forward and placed a soft, small kiss on Regina’s cheek. “Yeah, much better,” Emma commented with a shy smile and a blush.

Regina opened her mouth and closed it again a second later as she watched Emma stand up. 

“Anyway, I gotta get the kid from school. Henry, I mean, not the baby, that’d be weird,” Emma stumbled.

“Right, yes,” Regina agreed as she also jumped to her feet. “And I need to clean up before David gets back.”

“Right,” Emma nodded.

“Right,” Regina agreed.

Emma nodded a final time and quickly left the bedroom and rushed down the stairs and out of the front door.


	3. Chapter 3

Emma leaned heavily on the back of the front door as she wondered what the hell she was doing and why she had just kissed Regina. Luckily she had managed to get out of the loft before any awkward conversations came up. She pushed off of the door and started to walk towards the stairwell.

As she approached the stairs a cloud of purple mist appeared in front of her and quickly cleared to reveal Regina.

“What was that?” Regina demanded.

Emma took a step back and realised she was trapped between Regina and the closed front door.

“What was what?” Emma tried to act innocent.

“You.. you kissed my cheek,” Regina said.

Emma nervously licked her lower lip as she wondered what the best course of action was. She had already started to come up with an excuse that included something about friendly kisses and a thank you for all her help with the baby. But Emma knew that wasn’t the case, as soon as she felt herself leaning towards Regina she knew it was more than that.

“Yes, I did,” Emma confessed.

The evasive answers clearly frustrated Regina as she demanded, “why?”

Emma shrugged. “I dunno.”

Regina stared at Emma, the fire in her eyes was gone and there was a soft vulnerability that made Emma want to reassure the brunette.

“I..” Emma started and paused again.

“You?” Regina pressed after a few moments of silence had passed.

“I wanted to,” Emma replied with a shrug. “It was just a little kiss on the cheek, Regina. No need to get wound up over it.”

Hurt flashed across Regina’s eyes and Emma instantly regretted her words, she knew she had only said them to protect herself from rejection.

“No, wait,” Emma said and held up her hand to prevent Regina from saying anything that would further provoke the situation. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean that.”

Hurt lifted from Regina’s expression and made way for confusion but the brunette remained silent as Emma fought an internal battle to try to get a sentence together.

“I.. I have feelings for you,” Emma admitted in a quiet voice that Regina strained to hear. “I’m sorry if I made you uncomfortable I just.. wanted to show you affection. So I did.”

“You.. have..”

“Feelings for you,” Emma clarified. “Like I want to take you out for dinner feelings.”

Silent seconds went by and Emma winced at Regina’s lack of response.

“Aren’t you going to say anything?” Emma asked eventually.

“I have to go,” Regina said and in a cloud of purple mist she was gone.

“Regina, wait,” Emma called but it was no good. 

* * *

“Mom? I thought Emma was picking me up from school today?” Henry asked as he spotted his adoptive mother standing by the school gate. “Where’s the car?”

“I walked,” Regina answered distractedly. 

“But it’s raining,” Henry replied with a frown. “Did you and David argue about the milk formula again?”

Regina smiled at her son. “No, no one has argued about anything.”

“Then why do you have your worried face on?” Henry asked her as they started walking away from the school.

“I don’t,” Regina countered.

Henry shrugged lightly. “You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to but you might feel better if you do.”

Regina smiled softly down at the boy and put her arm across his broadening shoulders. “You are getting older and wiser every day, Henry. But, there are still some things that I don’t think you are ready to hear.”

“You’re dying, aren’t you?” Henry said sadly.

Regina stopped walking and stared at him in shock. “What? No, no of course I’m not dying. Well, no more than anyone else. What on earth made you think that?”

Henry watched as Regina knelt in front of him, an act that used to have them seeing eye to eye but these days made the woman considerably shorter than him. He looked down and swallowed hard as he indicated her hands. “Your hands, the spasms.. I.. I looked it up online and..”

“Let me stop you right there,” Regina said as she reached out and took one of his hands in both of hers and clutched it gently. “There is something wrong with my hands but I can assure you it’s nothing that you have discovered online and I am not dying.”

“Then what is it?” Henry asked impatiently. “And why didn’t you tell me before?”

“I.. I kept it to myself for a long time,” Regina admitted. “But I’ve only recently come to realise that that was wrong of me. I was trying to protect you and other people but it didn’t work out like that.”

A bolt of lightning lit up the sky and the clouds began to drop heavy fat rain drops.

“Mom, you know I said I didn’t always like it when you did magic?” Henry said as the rain got heavier.

“Yes, dear?” Regina asked as she wrapped her coat tighter around her body.

“Can you magic us back to the loft?” Henry asked quickly.

Regina nodded and smiled as she waved her hands and transported them both.

* * *

As they arrived in the living area of the loft Emma catapulted up from the sofa. Soon after Regina had vanished she had sent Emma a text message saying that she would pick Henry up from school and to meet them both at the loft.

“Regina,” Emma breathed.

Henry shrugged out of his rucksack and coat as Regina removed her own coat and hung it on the rack. She could use her magic to dry them both but she knew that Henry was still tentative about using magic for every little thing.

Regina looked timidly at Emma and gestured towards a chair at the dining room table. “Please, sit down. You too, Henry.”

Mother and son sat at the table and Regina stood in front of them with a contemplative expression.

“Now, Emma knows some of this story, Henry. But not all of it.. so I want to share it with both of you. So it’s out in the open,” Regina explained.

Henry nervously looked at his birth mother who seemed to be tense and watching Regina’s every move anxiously.

“I lied to you, Henry.” Regina said suddenly and as if wishing to relieve herself of a large burden. “When you asked me what happened at the cannery with Mister Mendell, I told you a lie. I honestly believed that you were too young to hear the truth.”

Regina folded her arms and chuckled to herself. “Although between Emma coming to town, the curse breaking, the wraith, the portal, my mother and Neverland.. I suppose I wasn’t close enough to you to know for sure whether or not you were ready to hear what happened.”

“Mom, you’re scaring me,” Henry whispered to her with pleading eyes. Emma stretched her hands across the table and took Henry’s hands in her own and gave him a reassuring smile.

Regina smiled gratefully to Emma, she didn’t want to uncross her arms as she felt she would be able to hold herself together throughout her story if only she held herself tightly enough. 

“I told you that he tied me to a chair and asked me questions,” Regina said with a sad smile towards her son. “And I also told you that he took me from my office, that wasn’t true. He had help.”

“Hook,” Henry said bitterly.

Regina blinked in confusion. “How did you know that?”

“Because he was a bad guy then,” Henry said. “And Ma’s broken up with him but she wouldn’t say why.”

Henry looked up at Emma who was still holding his hands. “Is this why you broke up with him? Because he hurt Mom?”

Emma looked from Henry to Regina and back again before nodding.

Henry nodded his understanding and looked back towards Regina for her to continue.

“Hook coerced me into wearing the bracelet that would suppress my magic and that allowed Mister Mendell to..” Regina trailed off and pulled out a seat beside Henry and looked at him softly. “I was tortured.”

Henry’s eyes slowly opened wider and wider as the implications of the words hit him. “But, Mary Margaret said..”

“Mary Margaret told you what I asked her to tell you,” Regina explained. “We.. we were in a bad place back then, Henry. You were still very angry at me and I didn’t want you having to bear that weight.”

“What did he do to you?” Henry asked as he unthreaded his hands from Emma’s and turned to face Regina fully.

“He used electricity,” Regina said carefully, watching Henry’s face for clues as to his understanding. “He put wires on my body and he distributed shocks, increasing the intensity over time. And that is why my hands sometimes spasm and I drop things. I should have known I couldn’t keep a secret from you.”

Regina smiled and brought her hand up with cup the side of Henry’s face and he eagerly fell into her hand. “Why did he do that to you?”

Regina took a deep breath, her eyes briefly flickered to Emma before returning to Henry and lowering her hand. 

“When Storybrooke was created the town happened to land on a campsite that Owen, Mister Mendell, and his father were using. In those early days they came to town.. I..” Regina paused for a moment. “Mister Mendell was younger than you are now and, well, let’s say he got separated from his father. He left the town and his father remained. I was.. I was different then, I had just enacted the curse and Owen’s father was..”

“You killed him,” Henry said distantly.

“I..” Regina swallowed and a tear fell down her face. “Yes.”

“It’s okay, Mom,” Henry said as he put his hand on her shoulder. “I know that’s not you anymore.”

“So, Greg was looking for his father?” Emma interrupted to get the conversation back on track.

“Yes,” Regina looked at Emma and nodded. “He thought he was still here in Storybrooke.”

“But you were gone for ages,” Henry frowned. 

Regina looked at Henry and sighed. “I didn’t tell him that his father was dead. Not at first anyway.”

Henry nodded his understanding and Regina swallowed again as she watched him attempting to piece together everything in his mind.

“Is this why you have nightmares?” Henry asked softly.

Regina could feel Emma’s eyes snap up to look at her but she remained fixed on Henry as she nodded. “Yes, I still remember it and that is why I go to see Doctor Hopper.”

“So, Emma didn’t know?” Henry asked as he looked at his birth mother.

“No,” Regina said as she also looked at Emma. “She didn’t know until very recently.”

“Why didn’t you tell anyone?” Henry asked.

Regina let out a sigh. “Fear that no one would believe me, or care if they did. And what’s done is done, I didn’t think that there was much point in talking about it. But I have reflected on that and I can understand now that it’s not just my story.”

“Thank you for telling me,” Henry said.

“There is one more thing,” Regina said and suddenly her tone became serious and her cheeks began to flush. “What would you say if Emma came over to dinner regularly, say, every Friday evening?”

“Really?!” Henry asked excitedly. “That would be amazing!”

Emma stared at Regina in confusion and Regina continued to speak, “and.. what would you think if your mother and I.. that is to say Emma and I.. if we.. if..”

“Dated,” Emma filled in quickly. “Your mother and I want to date. Like, each other.”

Henry looked from Emma to Regina and then jumped up excitedly, knocking his chair flying as he did. “Oh my god, really?! Like, seriously? That would be amazing! Like, I know not to expect too much and get my hopes up but that would be amazing. Both my mom’s together.”

Regina let out an enormous sigh of relief and smiled at the exhilaration of her son before looking nervously at Emma.

“Hey, kid, why don’t you go and play on your game upstairs?” Emma suggested meaningfully.

Henry grinned at his mothers and threw his arms around Regina and hugged her. “I love you, Mom.”

He let her go again and grabbed his school bag and climbed up the stairs two at a time and slammed the bedroom door behind him.

Regina looked anxiously at Emma.

“You scared the shit out of me,” Emma said seriously. “Disappearing after I admitted I had feelings for you!”

Regina held up her hand. “I know, I know, I’m so sorry.. I just needed to get out and have time to think.”

Emma shook her head and regarded Regina with a half-smile. “Wish I could be angry at you but I can’t.. is Friday night now date night?”

Regina blushed. “No, it’s family night..”

“And after Henry goes to bed at nine?” Emma asked with a grin.

“Then.. we’ll see,” Regina smiled back. 

“How long have you had feelings for me?” Emma asked suddenly.

“Since Neverland,” Regina admitted. “Seeing you out there, determined to rescue Henry, stepping up when you needed to, learning to trust your magic.”

“And the tank top, too, right?” Emma joked.

Regina laughed. “Yes, the tank top certainly didn’t hurt. I’d almost decided to throw caution to the wind and ask you out when we got back home. But then you were with Guyliner and I.. well, it brought a lot of memories back.”

“I’m sorry, about everything,” Emma said as she stood up and walked around the table. She bent down and picked up Henry’s chair and placed it in front of Regina as she sat down. “I still can’t believe I trusted him.”

“I should have told you what he did,” Regina admitted.

Emma shrugged. “I was blinded by his charm, I think I’d been alone so long it was just nice to have someone who cared.”

“And now?” Regina asked carefully.

Emma smiled. “Now I’m learning it’s better to give than to receive, to have someone to care for.”

Regina leaned forward and placed a gentle kiss on Emma’s lips before pulling back and smiling at the blonde before shouting over her shoulder, “Henry, unless you want to see something that will scar you for life I suggest you stop spying!”

Emma looked up and saw Henry looking down into the kitchen from the balcony in the bedroom. He scurried back into the bedroom and Emma giggled as she leaned forward and kissed the brunette.

THE END


End file.
